The Kremlin has praised U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for sharing a “phenomenally similar” approach to politics with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov appeared on Russian state television commending Trump’s foreign policy rhetoric, highlighting Trump’s commitment to “engage in dialogue with any country” to champion the United States’ interests.
"Putin has said the same thing, except speaking with Russia’s national interests as the absolute priority," Peskov said.
"It’s phenomenal how close they are in this approach to foreign policy, and it's a good reason to be mildly optimistic that dialogue will start again,” he said.
Russian politicians were reported to have held champagne parties in the country's State Duma to celebrate Trump's win, with deputies erupting into applause as the news first broke.
Yet Peskov’s words come after a series of more cautious announcements for Russian state officials.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on Thursday that the Kremlin was “not experiencing any euphoria.” “[We’ve had] very diverse experiences doing business with U.S. administrations, both Republican and Democrat," he said.
Is the honeymoon already over for Putin and Trump? Experts give their opinions: Russia Curbs Its Enthusiasm For Trump Presidency
Peskov was also keen to hold back on his praise for the Republican candidate. "There are no illusions that we can quickly bring this relationship back onto very friendly terms," he said.
Controversial businessman Trump triumphed over his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton in a widely unexpected victory on Tuesday. He has long been seen as the Kremlin's preferred candidate for the White House, having previously given President Putin an "'A' for leadership" while campaigning.
For more on the fallout from the U.S. elections, see: What Trump's Unexpected Victory Means For U.S.-Russia Relations
